Milton Keynes Dons under-18s lost out by the odd goal in seven as Bristol City overturned a two-goal deficit in the FA Premier Academy League.

Goals from Kieran Murphy and Sam Baldock had put Dons well in the driving seat before the break. But the Robins came back to turn the game on its head with three goals in 15 minutes coupled with the sending off of Dons midfielder Dean Lovegrove.

It had all been going so well for the Dons, against a side that drubbed them 5-0 back in September, as Mike Dove's team took full advantage of frequent set-pieces in a bad-tempered match.

But a penalty from Aaron Ledgister preceeded Lovegrove's marching orders for a two-footed tackle, and then City took control with goals from Ashley Towley, Christian Ribeiro and Dhani Golding.

Dove said: "I felt for the boys on Saturday, they played some fantastic football in the first half and it was so frustrating to lose a game in which you have played so well.

"There was a real buzz around the team and that showed with the fantastic start we made, there was a real purpose to what we were doing.

"There were a few incidents in the game I was not happy with, we had 14 set-pieces in the first half alone so I think that tells you what type of game it was.

"But I told the lads not to get involved in anything, to keep their heads a keep playing the way they had in the first half.

"Unfortunately the red card turned the game and we were put under a lot of pressure as a result of it. With the score at 3-2, we pushed a lot of players forward to get back into it and were outnumbered on the counter attack."

Murphy put the Dons in front on six minutes when he muscled into the six yard box to fire home Lovegrove's corner.

After pressing superbly from the front and forcing errors from the Robins defence, the Dons doubled the lead on the half-hour mark when Sam Baldock turned in another free-kick, this time from Tom Battams.

"We spoke of the importance of set-pieces before the game," said Dove, "and we worked a lot on them in training the day before so to score from three of them was excellent."

An improved but no less compromising City came out for the second half and pressed the Dons back as they tried to get back into the game and with 55 minutes on the clock they were given the chance when Sam Collins fouled Towley in the area. Ledgister bagged the spot-kick.

Towley himself levelled the scores after Lovegrove's dismissal before Ribeiro headed the Robins 3-2 in front.

As Dove's side pushed desperately to get back into it, they were hit on the counter with a fourth from Golding before Baldock turned in a consolation from another set piece.

"The boys were outstanding," Dove added, "and it's s disappointing to see them beaten when they deserved so much more.

"We showed great character to keep going when we were behind and a man down but we just ran out of time at the end."